


Domestic

by Kylaroid



Category: Mr. Robot (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Post-Canon, and live together, dom and darlene get a cat, dom and darlene have been dating for awhile, wholesome content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 10:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22154731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kylaroid/pseuds/Kylaroid
Summary: "Dom swings the door open to the apartment—shuts it and drops her handbag down on the table. She opens her mouth to call for Darlene, to see if she’s home, but something stops her before she gets the words out. There’s a cat. A big scraggly black cat on the floor of her apartment."In which Darlene and Dom get a cat... and shenanigans ensue.
Relationships: Darlene Alderson/Dominique DiPierro
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67





	Domestic

Dom is sitting on the subway—phone in her hands and headphones settled in her ears. The dark tunnels of New York City rattle past on her way back home from work. _Leave The Light On_ is humming in her earbuds, Chris Smither’s old soft raspy voice soothing her weary soul.

_“If I were young again, I’d pay attention – to that little-known dimension. A taste of endless time. It’s just like water – it runs right through our fingers.”  
_

It is Dom’s birthday—which is to say, a completely unremarkable day for the agent. With each passing year, she grows more disillusioned with the idea. Her birthdays for the last five years or so were either entirely uneventful or downright depressing. Sitting at her desk rooting through case files, conducting fieldwork, and doing research—or alternatively—lying around her apartment drinking stale beer and watching shitty reality television shows. Sometimes, her mother dragged her out for a breakfast or invited her over for a homecooked supper. In the last couple years, Dom had passed up meals in lieu for a phone call—much to the chagrin of her mother. Always with the excuse of work.

_“But the flavor of it lingers – like a rich, red wine. In those days we were single – we lived them one by one.”  
_

This year is different—a little. She has Darlene now. The beautiful chaotic blaze that burnt down her walls and dared her to relinquish control. Pulled her out of her comfort zone like a moth to the flame. Her girlfriend. _Girlfriend_. The title still feels somewhat foreign on her tongue, even after months of dating. But in a good way that swarms her stomach with pleasant fluttering sensations and all other manner of saccharine metaphors.

Dom insisted that they _not_ do anything big for her birthday this year. She had backlogged work and little energy for any kind of elaborate celebration. They’d go to Trudie’s for a quick birthday dinner, go home, maybe have a glass of wine in bed, and that would be that. Darlene seemed just fine with that. She was happy enough just knowing _when_ her birthday was and being able to celebrate it with her—however Dom decided that she wanted to.

She thinks about the brunette—lying on her stomach across the bed with the cool glow of the laptop lighting her dark features—and the corners of her mouth curl pleasantly. Dom wonders if she would be home already, waiting for her to arrive. Imagines the familiar sweet greeting she would give as she opens the front door. Perhaps she would be out, picking out a wine for tonight, or visiting Elliot or other friends. Having someone to come home to—having Darlene to come home to—always made the end of the day so much better. A huge improvement over Alexa. She leans back in her seat and picks a place on the subway car wall to stare—space out—as the first time she and Darlene talked about birthdays flashes in the back of her mind.

_“Cause I been left for dead before – but I still fight on – don’t wait up – leave the light on. I’ll be home soon.”  
_  
///

The topic of birthdays had come up once a couple months into dating. Dom was in the kitchen warming up her coffee while Darlene sat on the edge of the bed parsing through the pages of a newspaper. Sometimes she skims through the economic and tech sections, but she mostly peruses the headlines before skipping to the horoscopes in the back. Her glossy eyes landed on the reading for Scorpios:

_‘Cats have nothing on your curiosity right now. You’re sniffing and snooping around, looking for something new to learn. Whatever the reason behind your inquisitive mood, expect to find answers.’  
_

“You got a sudden interest in the news?” Dom asked, setting her mug down at her desk and flipping open her laptop to check her emails. The pages of the paper rustled and wrinkled as Darlene folded them shut to peek a glance at her. Rather unkempt auburn locks framed her bare face—she hadn’t gotten ready for the day yet. She was still a little groggy and hadn’t entirely woken up yet—Darlene can hear it in her voice, raspy and low. Darlene is enamored, a soft smile creeping across her lips.

“Horoscope—says here that a smoking redhead will sweep me off my feet and take me to dinner tonight.” Dom scoffed—turned her head and shot the brunette a smile. “You know I’ve got to work late tonight, Darlene.” She already knew this—Dom had been pulling extra hours at work for the past two weeks. The agent cast her gaze back to the laptop and reached out for the handle of her mug. “But I can grab some takeout on my way home—how’s pizza sound?” Darlene gave a little huff—making sure that her displeasure was noted—but ultimately relented. “Yeah, okay, just don’t forget the anchovies this time.” She sassed—opening the paper back up to the horoscopes.

“Hey, Dom…” Darlene started, the thought trailing off into the air. It hung for a moment before Dom picked it up. “Yeah?” She replied, not moving her eye line from her screen. “When’s your birthday?” She could hear the clacking of the laptop keys stop. “What—for your horoscopes? You know I don’t buy into that kind of stuff.” The typing continued a moment later. “It’s not _just_ about the horoscope. We’ve been dating for a couple of months now. I mean, shit, we _live_ together—how do I not know your birthday?” Dom chuckled. “You mean you didn’t look that up? I figured you would’ve done your research.” She discarded the paper on the comforter and walked over to where Dom was sitting—folding her arms. “I’m serious, Dom.” The agent caught Darlene’s scowl in the corner of her vision and felt her breath catch in her throat. Slowly, her hands slipped away from the keyboard and one reflexively raked through her hair. After a deep breath, Dom turned to face her—eyes uneasily bouncing around the room before meeting Darlene’s cool steady gaze.

“I don’t know—birthdays are weird, I guess. I’m sort of over them at this point.” She mumbled the best explanation of her feelings that she could muster. Darlene reached out and let her fingers glide tenderly through her fiery locks. Dom melted under her simple affectionate touch—the tension leaving her face and her features relaxing. The brunette smiled and crouched down so her eye line was level with the other’s. “I get that. Look, babe, I promise no surprise parties.” She raised her hand up and offered out her pinky finger. “So tell me?” Dom snorted, bursting in a sweet bout of laughter. That laugh—Darlene knows she’ll never get tired of hearing it. The way that her eyes wrinkle and the corners of her mouth raise into her cheeks makes her chest radiate with warmth. “Okay, okay—but remember, you promised.” She reemphasized as she locked their pinkies together. “Deal.”

///

Dom swings the door open to the apartment—shuts it and drops her handbag down on the table. She opens her mouth to call for Darlene, to see if she’s home, but something stops her before she gets the words out. There’s a cat. A big scraggly black cat on the floor of her apartment. Dom freezes—stares down at the cat as it stares back up at her with its one amber eye. The other eye isn’t there, the socket is sealed up and gives the creature a permanent wink. Did Darlene leave a window open and it climbed in? Dom looks to the left, to the windows, and sees that they are both shut. Swings her head back to the right and catches Darlene walking out of the kitchen with a bowl in one hand. So that’s how it got in.

“Darlene—why is there a cat in our apartment?” She asks pointedly—places her hands on her hips and turns so that she is facing Darlene fully. The brunette places the bowl down beside the wall and reaches over – placing her hands under the cat’s legs and scooping it up into her arms.

“Haaaaaaappy birthday!” Darlene exclaims, holding out the cat so that Dom can see it better. There’s a huge goofy grin spread across her lips—her cheeks wrinkling with the smile. “You—got me a cat? Why on earth did you get me a cat?” She huffs incredulously. Darlene pulls it close to her chest—the cat seeming perfectly content and relaxed in her hold. “I just thought it might be nice. I mean, just look at her, babe, she’s so cute!” She turns the critter a bit so its face is pointing towards the ginger. The lone yellow eye glances up at Dom before blinking around the room absently. “And a total fucking badass too, just like a certain birthday girl.” Darlene hums, a sing-song quality to her words. She breathes a laugh and starts scratching the cat’s chin. “Plus cats, like, help with anxiety too.”

Dom crosses her arms. “You really should have consulted me before going and getting an animal. They’re a lot of responsibility, Darlene.” The cat squirms out of Darlene’s arms—finally having had enough of being held—and plops onto the hardwood floor. The brunette scoffs and glowers up at Dom. “Jesus—I’m not a kid, Dom, I _know_ that.” She folds her arms in return, defensively, and walks over to take a seat on the edge of the bed. The glee from earlier seems to have retreated, replaced with sullenness. Dom scoffs—why is Darlene getting so worked up about this? She can’t imagine that Darlene is so childish that she can’t understand why she’s frustrated that she didn’t talk to her beforehand. She sighs, looking down at the cat and then back at Darlene. Takes a deep breath and decides to approach the issue diplomatically.

Darlene can feel the bed shift as Dom sits down beside her. She keeps her eyes glued to the floor—her body posture closed and rigid. She can sense Dom, though, looking at her—trying to crack through her icy exterior. _She always does. Neither of them can stay mad at the other for very long._ “Why a cat anyways?” Her voice is warm and gentle—a contrast to her somewhat chastising tone earlier. Her words slip through Darlene’s defenses and ease the tension in her body. Darlene relents, just a little, and she softens—her muscles relaxing.

“Always kind of wanted one—like, since I was a kid.” Her gaze bounces between the cat and Dom’s knees, not quite able (or wanting) to meet her gaze yet. “When I was little, I found this tiny white kitten. Put it in my backpack and took it home with me.” She gives a breathy laugh—she’s smiling, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Our mom wouldn’t let us have any pets, so I kept it in my bedroom.” Darlene is fidgeting with the rings on her fingers and runs her lower lip between her teeth. “Well—long story short, my mom made me get rid of it, so. That was that.” She says softly, in that gentle hurt tone that never fails to make Dom’s chest ache. Her melancholy tenor tells the agent that there’s more to the story—painful memories that Darlene would rather not drudge up. At least not right now. Dom decides not to prod any further and watches as the other hops back onto her feet to meander over towards the cat.

“You should have told me, Darlene. About that cat—and this one.” Darlene sits down next to the cat with a little grunt—crossing her legs together. “Okay, jeez, I get it—I messed up. I’m sorry, okay? Just…” She huffs and pulls the cat into her lap—her arms cradling it protectively. “Just… don’t even think about telling me to take her back.” Dom sighs and takes a seat beside her on the floor. “Of course we can keep her. But since you got the cat, it’s your responsibility.” Darlene’s guarded anxious front drops—her face softening as she leans over and starts scratching the sides of the cat’s face.

“Does it have a name?” She asks—hesitating for a moment before reaching over and rubbing behind its ears. She can’t just call it ‘ _the cat_ ’ forever. The older woman never had a cat before—just dogs—and isn’t entirely sure how to pet them or act around them. Dogs are so easy to please. Cats, on the other hand, seem much more nuanced and finicky. The black feline is leaning into Darlene’s touch and seems completely indifferent to Dom’s scritches.

“Moonpie.” Darlene replies definitively—her gaze settled on the cat in her lap. Dom blinks as she retracts her hand. The name is so sweet and cutesy—it feels so uncharacteristic coming from the grungy caustic hacker. “Moonpie, like the graham cracker marshmallow cookies?” Her brows perk as she repeats the name quizzically.

“Yeah—those were, like, my all-time faves as a kid.” She pauses thoughtfully. “It’s also the name I gave that kitten.” Darlene elaborates, her voice lowering into a hushed tone as she gently strokes Moonpie’s back. Setting aside all of her frustrations, Dom finds her obvious affection for the cat endearing. The image of Moonpie on her lap is so natural, kind of like the two belong together. Darlene looks so happy—and Dom decides that in itself is a pretty damn good gift.

Dom scans the apartment, now noticing all the new additions. A domed litterbox off in the corner, a bowl of cat food and water atop a silicone mat against the wall, an assortment of toys sticking out of a paper bag, and a round lavender-colored cat bed. Darlene can be impulsive, but she isn’t stupid. Dom knew that before she even met her and she got confirmation the first time they spoke. “Moonpie…” Dom repeats absent-mindedly. She brings her gaze back to the cat—her head crooking a little to one side as she looks at it. “Think she’ll be good on her own for a couple hours while we’re at my mom’s?” Darlene leans back, placing her hands behind her on the hardwood. Watches as Moonpie stretches up onto her feet and slicks off to explore more of the apartment.

“Of course she will—she’s a self-sufficient gal.” She chuckles drily and a moment later recollection flashes across her face. “Oh—I almost forgot!” The brunette suddenly scrambles onto her feet and ducks into the kitchen. Dom leans backward in order to keep her in her sights. She emerges a few seconds later with a bottle of wine in each hand. “I couldn’t remember whether Trudie prefers red or white wines, so I just grabbed both. Which one should we bring tonight?” A pleased hum rattles in Dom’s throat and she stretches her arms out a little—motioning for Darlene to take a seat in her folded legs. The smaller woman turns on her heel and settles down in the ginger’s lap. Her tattooed arms wrap around her waist and pull her close. Darlene purrs softly—easing into the agent’s hold. She always feels so safe and secure and serene in her arms. Sometimes, she’ll sit in Dom’s lap while the ginger is working on her laptop and doze off.

“So—we got a Cabernet Sauvignon orrrrrr a Riesling.” She holds out the bottles with their labels visible for closer inspection. Dom makes a thoughtful noise, looking over both of the options. Before she gets a chance to share her opinion, Moonpie struts by and rubs her head against the bottle of Riesling. Dom scoffs out a laugh—shaking her head in disbelief. “Guess Moonpie thinks we should take the white.” “Ohhhhh, okay, the Riesling it is!” Darlene exclaims playfully—setting the glasses down.

She stays settled in Dom’s arms for a moment. Silent. Pensive. There’s a beat, and then she shifts in her hold so that they are facing each other. Darlene is suddenly staring into Dom’s ashen eyes—her dark gaze earnest and unabating. “I am sorry—about not telling you. I know—” She sighs, swallows, and continues. “I know you said no surprises or shit like that. I guess… I was just afraid you’d say no.” Dom dips her head—her brows lifting incredulously. “I understand why you didn’t tell me. But you gotta talk to me next time. That’s how this relationship stuff works.” Her features soften, her eyes squinting lovingly and lips spreading into a gentle smile. “I’m not mad.” Darlene relaxes at those words—her focused expression melting into complete tenderness. Dom tilts her head slightly and glances over at Moonpie as she munches on her dry food. “You know, ma had been hoping for some more kids in the family, but hopefully Moonpie will suffice.” The brunette grins—reaches into her back pocket and pulls out her cellphone. “Good thing I already took, like, a thousand photos of her.” She wiggles out of Dom’s grip and steadies herself back onto her feet. Extends out a hand to help Dom up. “Come on—we should get going, birthday girl.” Dom smiles—takes the hand and lifts herself up.

“Sounds good to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> i wasn't entirely sure where/how to end this to be honest !! i have a bunch of ideas for expansions of this one-shot, so if you'd like extra chapters of dom, darlene, and their cat shenanigans, please let me know ! if you guys are interested, i might write some more !


End file.
